CREME CARAMEL

Creme Caramel

Creme caramel is a custard pudding with caramel sauce on top. This is light dessert originally requiring eggs and baking but here I present an egg less and bake less creme caramel which is equally tasty. This light and fluffy dessert is an absolute treat. My kids love to call it toffee pudding. It can be cooked over gas and chilled.

Ingredients:-

300 ml milk

3 tsp. custard powder
¾ cup sugar (1/4 for caramel sauce ½ for custard)

½ tsp. vanilla essence

5 grams agar-agar powdered

Method:-

• Soak agar agar in half cup of water for at least 1 hour. Cook on slow flame till it dissolves completely.
• In a non-stick pan add sugar for caramelizing and a drop of butter. Add water (2 tsp.) when sugar caramelizes and pour immediately in mold before it hardens. I used simple katoris.
• Let it cool for 15 minutes.
• Mix custard in half cup of milk.
• Boil remaining milk and sugar and add custard mixture when milk starts boiling. Cook on low flame until custard is smooth and thicker.
• Add agar agar and vanilla essence and cook for 2 more minutes. Strain custard if required and pour in mold.
• Refrigerate the custard for at least 3 hours. Loosen the edges of mould with inverted fork or knife and place it upside down.
• Serve chilled. I have served it with mango bites.

BADAM KESAR KHEER

Badam Kesar Kheer

Kheer is a milk and rice base pudding made across India in different styles and variations. Kheer can be made either with rice or with vermicelli.in southern parts of India its variation is called payyasam.We can have it both hot and called. It is offered as Prasad in many worship places and is made at several occasions like festivals.Traditinally its cooked in handi which has a heavy bottom. Milk and rice are cooked together slowly to get a creamy and thick texture which has aroma of green cardamoms and saffron.

Ingredients:-

(serves7-8)

1ltr milk

1 cup rice, soaked (Basmati)

¼ cup pistachio, blanched and skin removed

¼ cup almond, blanched and skin removed

A pinch of saffron, dry roasted and soaked in tbsp. of milk

4-5 green cardamom

1 tbsp. condensed milk

1 cup sugar

10-12 raisins, soaked in Water

1 tbsp. dry coconut, grated

Garnishing:-

Blanched and chopped nuts

Saffron strands

Serving suggestion

Earthen pots (kulhads): 6-7

Method:-

• In a deep saucepan take milk and bring it to boil. Now let it simmer on low flame stirring in between.

• Add sugar, soaked rice, kesar, raisins and saffron and cook it till it reduces to 1/4th of its quantity.

• Add condensed milk and coconut. Cook for 2 more minutes and pour Kheer in kulhads and refrigerate for 2 hours

• Garnish it with remaining chopped nuts and saffron

NAWABI PHIRNI

Nawabi Phirni

Phirni is a creamy dessert which is rice and milk based. It is made on festivals like diwali and we find it on occasions like marriage and in typical punjabi restaurants. It is different from kheer as it uses grounded rice and is served only cold unlike kheer. It tastes well with added saffron and is served in earthenware small pots called "shikoras".

Ingredients:-

Rice (basmati):250grams
Milk (full cream):1ltr

Condensed milk:1tblspn (optional)

Green cardamom: 6-7 nos. powdered

Sugar: 1cup

Saffron: few strands and for garnish
Garnishing:-

Silver foil:4-5

Almonds:10-15 chopped

Pistachios:10-15 chopped

Mud pots:8-9

Method:-

Soak rice for at least 2 hours. Stain it and grind it by adding half a cup of milk.

Boil remaining milk in thick bottomed vessel and add the rice paste slowly. Cook it on low flame stirring occasionally for 30-35 minutes. Add sugar and cardamom power in middle of cooking.

Add saffron after soaking it in 1tblsn of milk and keep half for garnish. Condensed milk can be added it this stage for richness.

Pour the mixture to earthenware and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours.

Garnish it with saffron, chopped nuts and silver foil.

Tip: Always roast kesar before soaking it to get maximum of its flavor